The present invention relates to a three-way, wall-avoiding, recliner chair operated by means of a handle typically positioned on one side of the chair within easy grasp of the chair occupant. Three-way recliner chair is terminology used in the industry to describe a chair in which the backrest is movable relative to the seat at least during certain phases, and the seat is movable relative to the base and, of course, the footrest is movable relative to the seat. The use of the terminology "wall-avoiding" herein is meant to describe a recliner chair whose backrest will not strike a nearby wall when placed in reclining position by virtue of the fact that the seat to which the backrest is associated will move forwardly relative to the base when the chair is placed into reclining position. The terminology "handle-operated" recliner chair is used in the industry to denote a recliner chair whose footrest is actuated by means of a handle usually positioned on one side of the chair to be within easy reach of the chair occupant.
Three-way handle-operated, wall-avoiding recliner chairs are in the prior art such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,071,275 and 4,108,491, the inventor therein being the same as one of the co-inventors in the subject application and the assignee being the same as the assignee of the subject application. One of the two chairs disclosed in the aforementioned patents, that in U.S. Pat. No. 4,108,491 is more pertinent to the chair of the present invention.
However, with the chair of U.S. Pat. No. 4,108,491, reduction of the height and width of the chair to compact the size for styling purposes, is limited by the linkage system of the chair. Also, portions of the linkage mechanisms must be accommodated in cavities formed in the armrests. Another shortcoming of the chair is that in the instance where it is being moved for relocation or other purposes and the armrests of the chair are grasped and pulled by the person moving the chair, the footrest is sometimes inadvertently actuated to its extended position which creates the obvious danger of suddenly striking the person moving the chair.